Article handling apparatus

ABSTRACT

A suction transfer device for cigarette packets comprises a rotary transfer disc having suckers which engage broad faces of successive packets lying flat on one conveyor and carry the packets to another conveyor at a higher level, delivering them in an upright position. The transfer disc is mounted on a shaft disposed at 45* to the broad faces of the packets on both conveyors.

United States Patent Inventor App]. No.

Filed Patented Assignee Priority Frederick Southcott London, England Jan. 26, 1968 Feb. 16, 1971 Molins Machine Company Limited London, England a corporation of Great Britain Feb. 2, 1967 Great Britain ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS 14 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

u.s.c1 209/74,

198/25, 19s/33; 214/1 1m. c1.. 8653 47/24 Field ofSearch 198/25,

209, 210, 33R3;214/1BS3, 13$, 7; 209/74; 294/64 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,997,186 8/1961 Terez 2 14/1 (BS4) 3,222,059 12/1965 Southcott.. 214/1 (BS4)X 3,230,002 1/1966 Olson 294/64 2,804,974 9/1957 Noon 209/74 2,195,625 4/1940 Knaggs 198/25X 3,386,558 6/1968 Benatar 198/25 Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner-George F. Abraham Attorney- Watson, Cole, Grindle and Watson ABSTRACT: A suction transfer device for cigarette packets comprises a rotary transfer disc having suckers which engage broad faces of successive packets lying flat on one conveyor and carry the packets to another conveyor at a higher level, delivering them in an upright position. The transfer disc is mounted on a shaft disposed at 45 to the broad faces of the packets on both conveyors.

Patented Feb; 16, 1971 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IA/ VENT 0 R wa az/yMk Mm Patented IFeb- 15.1971

{Sheets-Sheet 3' /v VENT-0R ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS This invention relates to improvements in article-handling apparatus. More specifically it is concerned with apparatus for transferring one stream of commonly oriented articles such as, for example, packets of cigarettes, into a second stream in which the articles have a new orientation.

In cigarette production packets of cigarettes, for example, slide and shell packets of twenty cigarettes, issue from a packing machine in a continuous single stream in which each packet lies fiat and travels sideways, whereas the next machine on the production line, namely the wrapping machine which envelops the packet in a cellophane cover, requires the packets to be supplied with a face-to-face orientation in a stream travelling perpendicularly to their faces. Frequently the disposition of the machines requires the streams to be perpendicular to one another and also to be on different levels. All these considerations mean that the handling apparatus heretofore proposed for transferring the packets from one machine to the next have been complicated, cumbersome and slow in operation as the various requirements have been met separately, the packets undergoing a compound motion under the action of an arrangement of belts, guides, tippers and the like.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved article-handling apparatus for transferring one stream of commonly oriented articles into another in which the articles have a different orientation, which is simple and compact and can operate quickly.

Accordingly the present invention provides article-handling apparatus for transferring one stream of commonly oriented articles moving in one direction into another stream in which the articles have a different orientation and move in another direction, comprising first and second conveyors disposed to move articles in the said different directions for each stream respectively, and a rotary transfer device carrying releasable article-gripping means for rotation therewith and disposed for the gripping means to pick up articles from one conveyor and deliver them to the other, wherein the axis of rotation of the transfer device is so disposed that rotation of the transfer device effects a change in the orientation of the articles.

In one arrangement which is particularly convenient for handling packets of cigarettes the first stream moves in a direction perpendicular to theaxis of rotation of the transfer device and the second stream is perpendicular thereto and spaced transversely apart therefrom. In this way packets of cigarettes which are lying flat on the first conveyor may be moved to an upright position on the second conveyor. Conveniently the article-gripping means can comprise suction devices which engage a surface of the article and to which suction is applied to grip the article and air is admitted to release the article.

The invention also extends to the combination of a cigarette-packing machine and a wrapping machine connected by apparatus as described.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: 1

FIG. 1 is a view in elevation of apparatus for transferring packets of cigarettes from one conveyor to another,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a cross section of a transfer disc being a part of the apparatus, and

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the disc shown in FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawings the apparatus comprises a first conveyor 1 on' which packets of cigarettes 2 are conveyed lying flat with their broadest faces parallel to the direction of movement, from a packing machine which packs cigarettes into the packets, a second conveyor 3 on which the packets 2 are conveyed in an upright position in a direction perpendicular to their broadest faces to a wrapping machine where they are wrapped in cellophane, and a transfer disc 4 which is mounted for rotation to transfer the packets 2 from the first to the second conveyor.

The two conveyors l and 3 are both horizontal and are perpendicular to one another with the second conveyor 3 being on a higher level than the first conveyor 1. The transfer disc 4 is mounted for rotation on a shaft 5 the axis of which is disposed at an angle of 45 to the broadest faces of the packets 2 as they lie on each conveyor.

The packets 2 are guided on the first conveyor 1 by means of rails 6 of which the inner rail terminates in line with the shaft 5, whilst on the second conveyor side bands 7 running around rollers 8 and along brushes 9 are provided to guide the packets and keep them upright. In addition these side bands 7 can be used to tilt the packets, if this is desired, by running them at different speeds from the conveyor 3.

The shaft 5 is secured to the disc 4 by locking means 10 at one end and is driven by means of a bevel gear 11 at its other end which meshes with a gear 12 driven by a band 13. The disc 4 carries at 120 intervals three flexible suckers 14 which are mounted on the disc by means of shanks 15 secured at an angle of 45 to the plane of the disc 4 by fastenings 16. As can be seen more clearly in FIG. 3 suction is admitted to the suckers 14 through passages 17 and 18 in the disc 4 and the shanks 15 respectively and is supplied to these passages by way of an annular fixed apertured valve member 19. The aperturing in the valve member 19 comprises a first short arcuate slot 20 at the pickup position to which suction can be admitted through pipe 21, a second longer arcuate slot 22 which during normal running of the apparatus is always connected to suction by a pipe 23 and an exhaust hole: 24 at the setdown position.

The admission of suction to pipe 21 is controlled according to the signals received from various detector mechanisms in other parts of the machine. If the packet is good, suction is ad mitted and the packet is picked up. If, on the other hand, the packet has been detected as faulty, no suction is admitted and the packet is not passed on the the second conveyor 3 but is rejected along conveyor 1. To prevent excessive loss of suction there is situated in the end of each shank 15 a dolly valve 25, having a valve piece 26 in which there is formed a bleed hole 27 and which seats against the end of the shank l5 and is supported on a stem 28 which extends through an annular shoulder 29 and terminates in a washer 30. The dolly valve 25 is thus able to move between the limits defined by the sealing of the valve piece 26 against the end of the shank and by the engagement of the washer 30 with the shoulder 29. If suction is applied to one of the suckers 14 which is not wholly obturated, then the dolly valve 25 is drawn inwards and a sudden inrush of air, which would unduly reduce the degree of suction, is avoided. If in this position the: sucker comes into contact with a packet the bleed hole 27 enables air to pass and the sucker to grip the packet. Since the packets are picked up with the valve 25 in a vertical position it has normally dropped open.

The packets 2 are taken off the transfer disc 4 and moved on to the conveyor 3 by means of a reciprocatory plow 31 mounted on connecting rods 32 which extend through a housing 33 where they are spring loaded towards the disc 4 and terminate on a member 34 to which is attached a cam follower roller 35. Underneath the housing 33 an egg-shaped cam 36 is mounted for rotation on a shaft 37 which is driven by gears 38 and 39 connected with the drive to the disc 4 by a band 40. The spring loading described urges cam follower roller 35 into engagement with 36 and the rotation. of the latter causes the plow 31 to reciprocate along the line of the conveyor 3. Brushes 41 and 42 are positioned to guide the packets 2 on to the conveyor 3.

The timing of the moving parts is synchronized so that as each packet comes along the conveyor 1 it is engaged by a sucker 14 and, assuming the packet is good, suction is applied firstly through pipe 21 and aperture 20 and then through pipe 23, and aperture 22 and the packet is rotated up and around to conveyor 3. At this point the plow 31 is at its outermost position and engages behind the packet. At the same time the passage 17 has moved on from communication with the slot 22 to communicate with the exhaust hole 24 thus releasing the suction and enabling the continued movement of the plow 31 to draw the packet on to the conveyor 3.

Iclaim:

l. Article-handling apparatus for transferring one stream of commonly oriented articles moving in one direction into another stream in which the articles have a different orientation and move in another direction comprising first and second conveyors disposed to move in said different directions for each stream respectively; a rotary transfer device to pick up said articles from one conveyor and deliver them to the other, the axis of rotation of said transfer device being disposed at substantially 45 to the direction of travel of one conveyor and at substantially 45 to the normal of the direction of travel of the other conveyor and comprising at least one suction device lying in a plane at substantially 45 to said axis of rotation and arranged to engage a surface of an article whereby rotation of the transfer device effects a change in the orientation of said article while retained thereon; a source of suction; control means for regulating the admission of suction to each suction device whereby an article may be gripped and released, and at least one detector for detecting defective articles and for actuating said control means when a defective article comes within the range of action of a suction device whereby faulty articles are not transferred to the second conveyor.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second conveyors are so disposed that articles on the first conveyor when engaged by the gripping means are travelling in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which they are moving when delivered by the gripping means to the second conveyor.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the rotary transfer device is arranged for rotation about an axis substantially perpendicular to one of said directions in which the articles are moving when picked up and delivered respectively.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said articles are flat articles such as cigarette packets which have opposite broad faces and opposite narrow faces, and said rotary transfer device is arranged to reorient the articles so that an article which is moved by one of said first and second conveyors with a broad face uppermost is moved on the other of said conveyors with a narrow side uppermost.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said first conveyor is arranged to carry articles with broad faces uppermost, and said rotary transfer device is arranged to deliver the articles to said second conveyor'with narrow faces uppermost.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said second conveyor is arranged to move articles with broad faces foremost, and comprises a conveyor surface which supports articles on their narrow faces.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second conveyors are at different levels, and the rotary conveyor device rotates about an upwardly inclined axis whereby articles being transferred are moved from one to the other of said levels.

8 Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising means for withdrawing articles from each suction device onto said other conveyor.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said withdrawal means comprises a reciprocating member positioned to draw articles successively from said suction devices onto said other conveyor and synchronizing means for operating said reciprocating member whereby said reciprocating member is in position to withdraw said articles from said suction devices as they arrive at a delivery position adjacent said other conveyor.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein said synchronizing means comprises means biasing said reciprocating means in one direction and cam means for driving said reciprocating means in the opposite direction.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said rotary transfer device is arranged to reorient the articles such that the side of the article closest to the other conveyor while resting on said one conveyor is the side closest to the one conveyor when resting on said other conveyor.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first and second conveyors are at different levels, the axis of said rotary transfer device is inclinedsubstantially 45 to the horizontal and each suction device includes a suction face so disposed that it is substantially horizontal when adjacent said other conveyor whereby said articles are reoriented such that the same side of each article faces the intersection of the planes of the sides of the articles contacted by said suction faces when picked up from said one conveyor and when delivered to said other conveyor.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim I wherein said rotary transfer device comprises a plurality of said suction devices and said control means includes means for regulating the admission of suction to each suction device when located adjacent said one conveyor without effecting the admission of suction to other suction devices having articles simultaneously retained thereon.

14. Article-handling apparatus for transferring one stream of commonly oriented articles moving in one direction into another stream in which the articles have a different orientation and move in another direction comprising first and second conveyors disposed to move in said different directions for each stream respectively; a rotary transfer device to pick up said articles from one conveyor and deliver them to the other, the axis of rotation of said transfer device being so disposed that rotation of the transfer device effects a change in the orientation of said articles while retained thereon, said rotary transfer device comprising a plurality of suction devices arranged to engage a surface of an article; a source of suction; a detector for detecting defective articles; and control means for regulating the admission of suction to each suction device whereby an article may be gripped and released, said control means comprising a stationary member having a plurality of separate arcuate slots therein in end-to-end relationship and equidistant from the axis of said rotary transfer device, said rotary transfer device including a conduit extending from each suction device to a position for confrontation with said arcuate slots during rotation, and separate further conduit means extending from said source of suction to each arcuate slot such that said control means in response to said detector controls the suction to one of said slots without effecting continued suction to the remaining slots whereby when a faulty article is not picked up b by a suction device articles are retained on other suction devices. 

1. Article-handling apparatus for transferring one stream of commonly oriented articles moving in one direction into another stream in which the articles have a different orientation and move in another direction comprising first and second conveyors disposed to move in said different directions for each stream respectively; a rotary transfer device to pick up said articles from one conveyor and deliver them to the other, the axis of rotation of said transfer device being disposed at substantially 45* to the direction of travel of one conveyor and at substantially 45* to the normal of the direction of travel of the other conveyor and comprising at least one suction device lying in a plane at substantially 45* to said axis of rotation and arranged to engage a surface of an article whereby rotation of the transfer device effects a change in the orientation of said article while retained thereon; a source of suction; control means for regulating the admission of suction to each suction device whereby an article may be gripped and released, and at least one detector for detecting defective articles and for actuating said control means when a defective article comes within the range of action of a suction device whereby faulty articles are not transferred to the second conveyor.
 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second conveyors are so disposed that articles on the first conveyor when engaged by the gripping means are travelling in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which they are moving when delivered by the gripping means to the second conveyor.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the rotary transfer device is arranged for rotation about an axis substantially perpendicular to one of said directions in which the articles are moving when picked up and delivered respectively.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said articles are flat articles such as cigarette packets which have opposite broad faces and opposite narrow faces, and said rotary transfer device is arranged to reorient the articles so that an article which is moved by one of said first and second conveyors with a broad face uppermost is moved on the other of said conveyors with a narrow side uppermost.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said first conveyor is arranged to carry articles with broad faces uppermost, and said rotary transfer device is arranged to deliver the articles to said second conveyor with narrow faces uppermost.
 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said second conveyor is arranged to move articles with broad faces foremost, and comprises a conveyor surface which supports articles on their narrow faces.
 7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second conveyors are at different levels, and the rotary conveyor device rotates about an upwardly inclined axis whereby articles being transferred are moved from one to the other of said levels. 8 Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising means for withdrawing articles from each suction device onto said other conveyor.
 9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said withdrawal means comprises a reciprocating member positioned to draw articles successively from said suction devices onto said other conveyor and synchronizing means for operating said reciprocating member whereby said reciprocating member is in position to withdraw said articles from said suction devices as they arrive at a delivery position adjacent said other conveyor.
 10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein said synchronizing means comprises means biasing said reciprocating means in one direction and cam means for driving said reciprocating means in the opposite direction.
 11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said rotary transfer device is arranged to reorient the articles such that the side of the article closest to the other conveyor while resting on said one conveyor is the side closest to the one conveyor when resting on said other conveyor.
 12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first and second conveyors are at different levels, the axis of said rotary transfer device is inclined substantially 45* to the horizontal and each suction device includes a suction face so disposed that it is substantially horizontal when adjacent said other conveyor whereby said articles are reoriented such that the same side of each article faces the intersection of the planes of the sides of the articles contacted by said suction faces when picked up from said one conveyor and when delivered to said other conveyor.
 13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said rotary transfer device comprises a plurality of said suction devices and said control means includes means for regulating the admission of suction to each suction device when located adjacent said one conveyor without effecting the admission of suction to other suction devices having articles simultaneously retained thereon.
 14. Article-handling apparatus for transferring one stream of commonly oriented articles moving in one direction into another stream in which the articles have a different orientation and move in another direction comprising first and second conveyors disposed to move in said different directions for each stream respectively; a rotary transfer device to pick up said articles from one conveyor and deliver them to the other, the axis of rotation of said transfer device being so disposed that rotation of the transfer device effects a change in the orientation of said articles while retained thereon, said rotary transfer device comprising a plurality of suction devices arranged to engage a surface of an article; a source of suction; a detector for detecting defective articles; and control means for regulating the admission of suction to each suction device whereby an article may be gripped and released, said control means comprising a stationary member having a plurality of separate arcuate slots therein in end-to-end relationship and equidistant from the axis of said rotary transfer device, said rotary transfer device including a conduit extending from each suction device to a position for confrontation with said arcuate slots during rotation, and separate further conduit means extending from said source of suction to each arcuate slot such that said control means in response to said detector controls the suction to one of said slots without effEcting continued suction to the remaining slots whereby when a faulty article is not picked up b by a suction device articles are retained on other suction devices. 